The Vatican Information Service is a news service, founded in the Holy See Press Office, that provides information about the Magisterium and the pastoral activities of the Holy Father and the Roman Curia...[+]

VATICAN CITY, JAN 11, 2005 (VIS) - Following the death in Rome yesterday at the age of 76 of Cardinal Jan P. Schotte, C.I.C.M., the Holy Father sent the following telegram of condolence to Hubert Schotte. The Belgian cardinal was secretary general emeritus of the Synod of Bishops and president of the Central Labor Office of the Holy See:

"It was with great sadness that I learned the news of the sudden demise of the dear Cardinal Jan Pieter Schotte, and I wish to express my deepest sympathy to you and to your relatives, as well as to the Congregation of the Immaculate Heart of Mary and to all those who knew and respected him. With a grateful soul I recall his many years of industrious collaboration with the Holy See, and especially his generous service as secretary general of the Synod of Bishops. He leaves the example of a life spent for Christ in coherent devotion to his own priestly and religious vocation and ever attentive to social questions in complete faithfulness to the Gospel and the teaching of the Church. I raise fervent prayers appealing to the Lord to welcome this dearly beloved brother cardinal in joy and eternal peace, and I send to you and to others mourning his demise a comforting apostolic blessing as a sign of my sincere participation in your pain".

The Holy Father will preside at the cardinal's funeral on Friday January 14 at 11 a.m. at the altar of the Confession in the Vatican Basilica. Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, dean of the College of Cardinals, will celebrate Mass along with other cardinals.TGR/DEATH SCHOTTE/... VIS 20050111 (280)

VATICAN CITY, JAN 11, 2005 (VIS) - Pope John Paul today welcomed 150 participants in the inter-eparchal synod and the Italo-Albanian eparchies in Italy, together with Cardinal Ignace Moussa I Daoud, prefect of the Congregation for the Oriental Churches, as they meet in Rome on the theme "Communion and Proclaiming the Gospel."

The Pope remarked that this theme is "very current for your two eparchies and for the exarchal monastery of Grottaferrata. Heirs of a common spiritual patrimony, your ecclesial realities are called to witness to the unity of the same faith in diverse social contexts."

He added that the synod "has accented essential themes such as catechesis and mystagogy with a view to an appropriate spiritual growth of the entire People of God. You have also looked at theological and ascetical paths for the preparation of clergy and members of institutes of consecrated life. ... It is your intention to prepare a solid formation rooted in the Oriental tradition and aimed at responding in an effective manner to the growing challenges of secularization."

The Holy Father pointed to the beauty of the Byzantine rite, the Eucharistic prayers and celebration of the sacraments, adding that "the entire liturgy and divine worship, so rich in hymns, is a strong vehicle of catechesis for the entire Christian people.

"I encourage you," he said, "to pursue your contacts, thanks to common liturgical tradition, with the Orthodox Churches, who are also anxious to give glory to the One God and Savior. May the Almighty Lord ... grant all believers in Christ to fully live unity in the same faith. For this I pray and ask the Lord that your synod will contribute to favoring a renewed proclamation of the Gospel in your communities as well as a vigorous ecumenical thrust."AC/INTEREPARCHIAL SYNOD/DAOUD VIS 20050111 (300)